Oral Assessment

[as5]

Hello, my name is Amy. I am an inpatient oncology nurse (6 years) wondering about mouth care-in or outpatient care. Do you use a formal tool/guidelines/scale when performing oral assessments? If so, what is the name of the tool/scale and how does it affect your practice-is it beneficial when compared to an assessment without the tool/guidelines/scale to follow? If no formal tool/guidelines/scale is available, what is your routine for oral assessment, documentation, and do you think your practice would benefit from a standard tool? Thanks.

[leslie :-D]

Hello, my name is Amy. I am an inpatient oncology nurse (6 years) wondering about mouth care-in or outpatient care. Do you use a formal tool/guidelines/scale when performing oral assessments? If so, what is the name of the tool/scale and how does it affect your practice-is it beneficial when compared to an assessment without the tool/guidelines/scale to follow? If no formal tool/guidelines/scale is available, what is your routine for oral assessment, documentation, and do you think your practice would benefit from a standard tool? Thanks.

hi amy,

i've never used a standardized assessment guide, but when i do my head to toe assessments, i always inspect the insides of the pt's mouth for poor dentition, stomatitis, leukoplakia, ulcers, etc.

i don't think that an assistive tool would be necessary.....the only way i could think that it would be beneficial is for those nurses that overlook assessing the insides of one's mouth.

leslie